Daddy's Little Girl
by mysoulmate
Summary: Dani has come back, trouble close at hand. Can Danny convince her to call Amity Park home, well trying to adjust to his new relationship with Dash, Dani's unlikely saviour.
1. Chapter 1

We were eating lunch outside when we heard it. The whole school heard it. Screaming, but it came from the sky. Someone had a pair of binoculers and starting shouting that it was a ghost girl and that she looked hurt. She was being attacked but some buzzard looking ghosts, she was falling. We all saw the flash in the sky.

With people everywhere I had no where to go ghost. I was starting to panic as she got closer to Earth. I stood up and almost called out Going Ghost even tho I was in the middle of a crowd, when I saw Dash make a bee line for her.

It was pretty amazing to watch. He ran at full force, everything seamed so well timed, he used one of the picnic tables to lanch himself into the air. He scooped her up out of the air like a football. The landing wasn't as graceful, but Dash protected her body well using his.

Everyone cheered, and I prayed that it wasn't her. Let it be another ghost girl, please oh please. Her hair was black and short. I pushed my way to the front, it was her.

"Dani!" I ran the short distance to my baby girl and the man who was now my hero.

I heard the crowd mumble and ask why I'd said my own name.

Taking her hand I almost cried at the sight of her. Bloody and clothes torn, if Dash hadn't saved her.

"Oh baby, oh sweetie, pumpkin. It's okay, please wake up hon, Dani sweetie. Please, please open your eye's." In a hushed tone, "Please for daddy."

Dani groaned and opened an eye. She looked around and saw me. Instantly she leapt into my arms and starting crying. I stroked her hair and listened to the sound of sirens drawing closer. The only thing I could think of to calm her down was a luaby. It sounded horrorable but her sobs quieted.

The crowd was parting to let the paramedics through. I held her hand as they strapped her to a board and carried her in the ambulance. They tried telling me that I couldn't go with them, I let my ghost powers seep through knowing how I'd look to them. They changed their minds about letting me go.

The trip was fast and Dani was looked at in no time. Other than being exausted and having some cuts and brusies she was fine. Dash had really saved her life. I would have to find someway of thanking him later.

Right now tho I had to deal with her doctor.

"You want her parent to sign, fine. That's me. Don't believe me than run a DNA test. Take my blood, swap my cheek I instest."

The doctor took it, probably just to prove me wrong and throw me out. If took a few hours but he came back amazed and full of questions. So I answered them, sort of.

I told him that my parents were scientists, and that a fellow scientist was jealous of my father. So he worked on cloning, what he was planning to do with the clone I wasn't sure. He was a nutjob that didn't think ahead very often. Anyways he managed to make a clone, but messed up and instead of a he it was a she. He'd figured out a way to age her as well.

I signed the papers the doctor needed and swore him to secretcy. No one could find out about her, people would only want to use her or study her or even worse take her apart.

The call home was weird to say the least. Telling them as much as I could without giving to much away. They knew I'd be staying the night and promised to pick us up when she was releast.

Dash came by.

We stood in a stairwell with hot chocolate from the cafeterate.

"Thanks Dash. I owe you big time. You're a real hero you know." I felt so greatful, until her opened his mouth.

"Daddy? It's been bugging me why'd you say daddy? If you have some kind of sick relationship with her, I'll...I'll... She only looks twelve for fucks sake." One hand griped the railing, his knuckles were turning white. He looked angry and confused.

I set down my hot chocolate. "No, we don't. I'm going to have to explain everything aren't I? Fuck. You can't say a word about this to anyone got it?"

Dash nodded, looking less angry but more confused. "I promise Fenton."

I checked the stairwell first than shouted, "I'm going ghost!" I'd tranformed. Dash stumbled back and I grabbed his arm to steady him. "I'll just give you the cliff notes, and save the whole story for later."

So I told him. How I turned into a half ghost, about Vlad, about the cloning.

"So you're a dad huh?"

"Yeah pretty much." I'd turned off the ghost thing, if anyone saw us well I was a ghost things could get bad.

We drank our hot chocolate in silence for another minute. "What's it like? Being a dad at 15?"

"It's weirder for me than most I guess. I didn't get any of the fun plarts like sex or watching her grow. Hell I'm not even sure if she really grew, I don't know how Vlad did it all. Suddenly I've got an angry preteen that felt betrayed by the world when Vlad threw her aside. I don't even know where she is most of the time. I've seen her three, four times now. Never for more than a few days. So I'm always worrying. Sometimes I worry less, but when she comes back into town it's cause there's trouble following. She looks twelve but she's only maybe five-seven months old now, and she's lived more than I have. She's out on her own, taking care of herself and I have a bedtime for fucks sake. I've tried asking her to stay, but she never does. What can I give her anyways?"

"A home, love, a father that isn't a total dick, just a bit of one." Dash was smerking.

"Ass." But I was grinning. It was really nice to just talk to someone.

He nudged my arm with his. "Tell you a secret, gotta promise not to tell tho."

A secret, from Dash? Maybe he hit his head catching Danni. "Yeah sure. Cross my heart and everything."

He nodded and took a deep breath. "I knocked a girl up last year."

If I'd been taking a sip right than, it would have been all over the stairs.

"Our parents were freaking out. It was a one night stand, we'd both had too much to drink and ended up together. We'd become friends after, then we found out. About the third month in she miscarried. Her parents decided to move, get her better therapy than she could find here. My parents opted for forgetting about her and the baby."

Dash looked sad, but a smile creeped up on his face. "Our kids would have been only a few months apart." Tears were in his eyes so I did what anyone would do. I hugged the larger man.

We sat around and chatted for a while longer but soon he had to go and I wanted to see my Dani.

He walked be back to the room. "Danny with an I huh. Clever."

"For only a month or so old, yeah I'd say that was pretty clever, the real genuis was Vlad. Danielle, seriously he named her that."

Dash laughed and patted me on the shoulder with promises of being back first thing in the morning with a present for Dani.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay second chapter is up, if I did this right. You people all know the drill, I own nothing, Not sure who these people belong to, but it's not me.

* * *

I'd fallen asleep bent over the hospital bed, the whispering woke me. I stayed quiet listening to the conversation going on around me.

"Do you think he'll wake up soon?" Dani was so sweet to ask.

"Yeah, soon enough. How about you eat more of your breakfast?" Dash had kept his promise and came back.

I almost gave myself away by smiling when Dani started whining.

"But I don't like eggs or toast." She was pouting, I could tell.

The bed shifted as someone sat on it. "How about putting some of the egg on the bread and trying that?"

Dani didn't say anything but the scraping of fork on a plate told me she was going to try it.

"Hey that's pretty good."

I couldn't keep it up any more and had to see. Them getting along so well made my stomach do a happy flip. I'm not sure why but them getting along felt like a good thing.

"See kiddo, you gotta try new things cause you never know what you'll like."

Dani dropped her piece of toast when she saw I was watching. "Danny!" She pushed aside the moving table with her tray and reached out for me. I went to move towards her but my night bent over caught up with me.

Wincing I rubbed at the sore spot. I waiting until it was a little better than moved closer to give her a hug.

She looked almost completely different from yesterday. Other than some slight bruising and bandages on the cuts, she looked so healthy and happy.

I couldn't stand up straight but I tried. Only to end up doubled over again.

"Danny!" They'd spoken together.

A few deep breaths and than I spoke, "Just my back. You should avoid sleeping like that if at all possible."

Dash got up and walked around the bed towards me. "Hey let me help." He helped me into the empty bed next to Dani's and I wish I'd thought of laying down there when I had gotten tired. Sitting on the side of the bed he sat behind me. His hands worked on my back. I'd gotten so comfortable I'd almost fallen off. Luckily Dash had grabbed hold of my waist and pulled me back.

His arms still around my waist I stretched. Arms extended towards the ceiling I arched my back and closed my eyes. I was still in this position when I opened them again, right into Dash's baby blue ones, a strange feeling struck me. I pulled away and hopped off the bed. "Thanks Dash, I really needed that."

"Danny?" The voice sounded sad and I quickly forgot about Dash and turn my full attention to Dani.

I sat next to her on the bed. "Yes? Do you need anything? Should I call the nurse?"

She shook her head and looked straight at Dash. "I think Danny needs breakfast, why don't you go get him some."

Dash just nodded and left, looking a little shocked.

He wasn't the only one. "Dani! You can't just tell someone to do something, you should have asked and said please."

"I needed to talk to you without him around. About why I'm back." That got my attention, I'd scold her later about her attitude.

"Vlad, I was checking out Texas when he first showed up. At first he was just trying to talk, but he'd follow me no matter where I went. LA, Vermont, even this little town called Dreamson, he was there. By Dreamson he was really really mad, he didn't just want to talk. He knocked me out and woke up in this dungeon. I was there for what felt like ever, he hit me a few times when I wouldn't tell him what he wanted."

"What did he want?"

"Information about what kind of new powers you've gotten, he mentioned something about training in the ghost world. And he wanted to know stuff about your mom too. It was weird and gross. I escaped, and those buzzard things attacked me. I tried getting to you as fast as I could. But I've been thinking about how I got out and the more I think the more wonder if he didn't just let me go to get your attention."

I pulled her in and she started crying. "It's okay baby, I have you. I won't let him hurt you ever again."

Vlad was on the top of my foes list, but now I'd was going to make sure he could never hurt my daughter again.

She'd cried herself back to sleep and I slipped into the hall. Dash sat by the door with a tray of food. We made our way to stairwell from last night. It was busier than last night, and by busier I mean one doctor nodded to us as he passed by.

I took my food and started eating, it was cold but it didn't matter. We sat in silence till I'd finished.

"Thank you."

"Geesh man, it's just breakfast."

"No. I mean for everything. For saving her, for not freaking out, for not telling, for coming back."

Dash rubbed the back of his head and blushed. "Yeah well don't think I'm doing this for unselfish reasons. I think it's pretty cool what you do, and I'm sorry for picking on you so much. If I'd known I was beating up Danny Phantom all this time I'd.. well I'm sorry."

"You know I was temped to get revenge on you a more than a few times. I'd did it once or twice, but it usually ended badly for me. Karma or something I guess. So don't feel to badly, karma's just caught up with you." It was a tease and he laughed at it. It wasn't the same kind of laugh I was use to, the cruel laugh that either came before or after being stuffed in my locker. It was nice. "We'd better get back, in case she wakes up."

The walk back was quiet, I spent my time thinking about how open he'd been. How open I'd been. Maybe something in me has always wanted to tell him, to get some sort of acknowledgment for what I'd done. To make him eat his words and get revenge for everything he'd done. If that's why I did it, than revenge isn't as sweet as I'd subconsciously thought it was. Some how tho, it made me feel better to share it with him, to share how I feel about Dani. I feel more at peace talking out my problems with someone who can understand. Why is it that he can understand? Perhaps it's because he lost a child, so he knows how painful it can be. Maybe that's why he's sticking around, maybe he sees what he lost in Dani and I. Could he see Dani as the child he lost?

This was getting way to complex. Maybe I'm just pushing my feelings on to him or trying to reach out or something. Maybe he only wants to make sure Dani isn't going to die and in a few days we'll go back to the way things were. Yeah I could handle it if that's what happened.

Dani was still asleep when we got back. Dash took the chair I'd been in and I sat on the edge of the bed.

"Uh, want something to read? I've got some car magazines and football magazines."

Things felt awkward in the room. Not as easy as when we were in the stairwell.

"No thanks." I had a million things to do. Finding Vlad wanted to be at the top of the list, but there were more important things to work out first. Mom and dad would be here by 10:30 to drive us home. I don't even know where to start trying to explain to them about Dani in a way that wouldn't have them trying to find those long lost relatives.

At least Dash would be here, maybe that would smooth things over. Wait, it was Thursday, what time was it? I grabbed the clock of the night stand and stared at it's face. 9:48.

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Shouldn't you?"

"But I'm here with her, I have a reason to skip. How did you get out of it?"

"I packed up some magazines and the present I got Dani, than I just didn't go."

"What about when the school calls your parents? Aren't you worried about getting in trouble."

"I'm sorry mom and dad, I saved this girl yesterday and I couldn't go to school without check up on her to make sure she didn't die."

Okay I had nothing. It would work for skipping a couple classes, sure, but not for all day.

"I'm kidding. They don't care. As long as I don't do something that could ruin my career playing football, they don't really care what I do with my time." The smile that had been on his face earlier was gone. Bitter resentment had replaced it.

"Least your job is well paying." I gave him a grin, trying to show that I was just joking around. "Mine want me to become a ghost hunter. Let me tell you, does not pay well. I haven't seen two cents since I started."

Dash started laughing, a much better response than I'd hoped for. "Two cents, eh Fenton?"

"Well I found a penny one night after fighting the Box Ghost. Nothing since than."

"A penny doesn't go as far as it use to." He flashed me an uneasy grin.

The silence settled between us. It was almost 10:15 before I broke the comfortable quiet.

"You know I mean it, thanks." I could say it a thousand times and it still wouldn't be enough. "Anything, anything at all you want I'll do it."

He got out of the chair and stood beside me, no over me. "Anything huh? That's a dangerous thing to promise."

There was that feeling again. Somewhere between deer in the headlights and ... something. He leaned in, rested his hands on either side of me. His face barely a few inches away.

"So you got me a present huh?"

Dani! Dash flew back and nearly crashed into the other bed. Dani giggled with delight. I turn towards her.

"So just how long were you awake young lady." I tried my sternest voice, but she only grinned obviously pleased with herself. "That wasn't nice scaring Dash like that. And another thing, you don't go about ordering people like you did to Dash earlier. If you have something private to say there are better ways of saying it." I was on a roll, and eerily sounding like my mother.

She wasn't grinning any more and had gone from surprised to upset. Okay maybe scolding her in front of someone else was a bad move. What's said is said, I couldn't give in now.

"Dani, I need you to say your sorry to Dash. You can't treat our friends, and importantly the guy who saved you, like that."

Now what would mom say? Something comforting I'm sure. Was all parenting just guess work and trying to remember what your parents did?

She looked guilty, was this good or bad. Was she feeling bad about how she treated him or was it something else.

"I'm sorry, Dash."

"It's okay, Dani. I did get you a present, if it's okay with your father," He gave me a wink and that odd feeling crept up my spine, I was starting to like it. "I'd like to give it to you."

She grabbed my arm and tugged, "Please? Can I have it?"

"Yeah daddy, please." Dash gave me an exaggerated pout and if I'd had any thoughts about denying the gift before they were gone now.

"Yes, go ahead." I tried to look as exasperated as possible, like the decision had been hard.

Dash dug around in his backpack for a moment. "Now I know it's in here somewhere. Ah Ha! For you little lady." He handed her a gift box.

Excitedly she grab it, but before she could pull the top off I placed my hand on top.

"Hang on." We waited a moment, no yelling, no shouts of 'I'm the Box Ghost.' "Okay go ahead." But I swear he pops out...

"A teddy bear!"

A teddy bear?

"I know a place."

I bet.

"Hello?" My parents, I was unsure if them being there was a good thing or not.

I got up from the bed as they came in a nurse right behind them.

"Perhaps the gentlemen would like to leave the room as we get Miss. Danielle dressed." The nurse, about as gently as a moose exiled us from the hospital room.

"Well Danny, my boy we'd better go take care of that paperwork." Dad clasped a hand on my shoulder hard enough to sting a little. "Don't worry we'll be out of here in no time, and Dani, boy that's weird to say, will be better after a few days of bed rest." A wheel squeaked and caught his attention, "Oh pudding cups! Maybe just one for the road. Don't tell your mother." He shouted taking off after the cart.

Without my father there, being alone with Dash after he almost, I never felt more like a virgin teenager. Was he really going to? No, don't be stupid I berated myself, he's Dash, you don't get much straighter. But than what was he going to do?

I felt lost and it wasn't until the elevator doors shut that I even noticed where we were, completely alone.

"No interruptions." He grabbed my waist and pulled my body to his. "Say no well you can." He didn't give me much of window to do so. His lips were on mine and for the next couple heartbeats I was frozen. All at once I felt my eyes close and I started to kiss back. My hands twisted in his shirt, grasping, I wanted to touch him, my brain fuzzed over. The door dinged and I was released.

"What were we doing again?" I didn't want to say it out loud but I had no idea.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer, I in no way own this characters or the world they live in, although if you're looking for some suggestions people that do own them, Dash, Danny gay love. That's all I'm going to say.

Thanks for the reviews guys. The story's not done, so enjoy the tour.

* * *

I felt hot, oh so hot. There was touching and kissing, I felt so good. I didn't want it to end but I needed to figure out what was going on and I couldn't do that with my brain getting fuzzier with every touch. My name I could hear it being said, whispered over and over again I couldn't hold on to it. My name slipped from my minds grasp and I was lost to the feeling.

Groggy I opened my eyes and faced the thing that had awoken me. 7:00 flashed as the alarmed buzzed. Monday morning and I had to go to school today. They'd let me skip Friday to help Dani settled in. A couple more days and she'd be completely healed, I'd have no excuse to keep her here and safe.

The dream was already fading, other than that it have been sexual in nature I couldn't tell anything more. I shook the last remains of the dream from my head turned the alarm off.

The morning flew by and I was at school before long. People looked and whispered as I went by. It only got worse as Dash called out my name and jogged up behind me.

I'd spent the better part of my weekend thinking about ways to avoid him and in two seconds he'd ruined the plan.

We walked together and Dash babbled beside me. I didn't hear a word he was saying and I didn't care, I was only brought back to the real world when he'd pulled me against him. For the moment I'd felt a twinge of hope that he was going to kiss me. I pushed that thought, that hope away and was going to push him away when he yelled out.

"Watch where your going! You almost ran someone down!" Dash was fuming and staring down the hall at a couple kids with a basketball. "Halls are for walking not for basketball."

It couldn't be helped, I laughed, he sounded like a teacher. Last week he would have joined in the game. Well maybe not, it was hard to tell, I was beginning to see that Dash Baxter was more complex than I'd ever given him credit for.

"So, Friday night than?"

I was confused, when had we been talking about Friday? He must have said something well I was lost in my own thoughts.

"Uhhh..." I couldn't agree, I had no idea what I would be agreeing to, couldn't bluff that I'd been listening either.

Dash was frowning, "You weren't paying attention were you?" He pulled away.

There was no choice, not any that wouldn't be a flat out lie or make him madder.

"Sorry."

Dash just shook his head at me and sighed. "Do you want to catch a movie with me this Friday? Alien Slugs From Beyond The Grave is playing, and I heard it was good. We could get some food first cause theaters charge an arm and a leg for popcorn."

A date, a date with Dash Baxter. My tormentor for all of my school career. The guy who has every girl but Sam hanging off his every word. I have no idea what to say. Part of me almost blurted out yes, but the other part was slamming the first one into a closest.

"I should, I need, to think. I'll get back to you okay." I'm a little ashamed to admit it but I ran, I ran like Tucker to a PDA sale.

Only once I was safely in my homeroom did I remember that I hadn't gone to my locker yet. The bell rang and I sunk down in my seat, to late now.

Where were your friends when you needed them? I hadn't seen them since last Wednesday. They didn't visit the hospital and I didn't even get a phone call all weekend from them. I tried called them, but their parents just said that they were out. I needed to talk to them, about everything.

By lunch I was getting despite. Why couldn't I have the normal teenage angsts? Like acne and girl troubles? No mine were ghosts, having the guy who beat you up nearly everyday know your biggest secrets, a daughter that was almost your age, and the guy who beat you up nearly everyday kissing you and wanting to go on a date with you, and wanting to go on the date. Great I can add might be gay to the list of growing angsts, at least I could add it to the normal angsts list and not the I'm to only person in the world with these problems list. Being a teenager sucks.

Finally I spotted them. They looked beat.

"Hey Danny." Sam gave a half hearted wave. Tucker just groaned, not even bothering to touch his burger.

"Danny, dude. Don't let me tell you it's easy to ghost hunt." Tucker mumbled from the table top.

Sam rubbed her arm. "Yeah that box ghost is a lot tougher to fight than he looks. We must have been up till four this morning trying to get him. We just got to school."

"Is that where you've been? I was trying to call you. You should have said you were going on patrol I could have helped."

"We didn't want to pull you away from Dani. How is she anyways?" Sam looked concerned and I remembered why I'd fallen for her in the first place. It really was to bad that we made better friends than dates.

I nodded. "She'll be fine. Hell she's fine now. It just a few bruises to heal and you'd never know she fell out of the sky."

Tucker was looking more energetic and even eating now. "So what happened?"

"Vlad. Dani said that he followed her around than grabbed her." I was facing the same rage I'd felt when Dani first told me. "He caused some of those bruises trying to get information from her." Pushing my food around with my fork I didn't feel very hungry anymore.

"That's awful, poor Dani. Speaking of which, the whole school's talking about you Danny. We've only been here since the start of lunch and we're overheard almost dozen rumors."

"Yeah man, most of them are guessing that she's either half ghost or can disguise herself as human. But there's an alien rumor too. What do we do?"

I took a bit of the brown mush they we're trying to pass off as food. It was horrible but I was stalling for time.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" I hated it when they spoke at the same time.

"Nothing, we let them talk. Rumors aren't going to hurt anyone. At the worst we get the Men In White poking around and a few nosy neighbors." I swirled the mush around some more. "Besides even if we try to deny it or make up some story they'll talk. If they ask you guys just say you didn't ask or something."

Sam put a hand on my arm and sighed, "Okay Danny if that's what you want to do."

We sat there eating for a moment but I couldn't keep the secret for long.

"So Dash kinda knows now."

Sam dropped her fork back into the homemade salad and Tucker choked on his burger.

"What?" Did I mention I hated it when they spoke at the same time?

"I had to tell him. He came to the hospital and start asking, or rather demanding answers. He even thought I was in some sick sex thing with her and that's why I, er," I glanced around at the looks and out right stares our table was getting and lowered my voice. "That's why I said daddy, why I asked her to open her eyes for daddy."

Neither of them seemed to be able to say anything so it looked like a good time to add the part that had been bothering me all morning.

"Dash asked me out, on a date." I could feel my cheek flush and I ducked my glaze from theirs. "He kissed me at the hospital and asked me out this morning."

"You're not going are you?" She looked so worried like I was walking into the lions den.

"I don't know, I mean. I shouldn't but..."

"You want to go." Sam was pretty smart sometimes.

"Eww, but he's Dash Baxter. Stuffs you in a locker Dash Baxter. Jock extreme Dash Baxer. A guy Dash Baxter. He's.."

"I get it Tucker. You don't think I should go."

"I'm just pointing out the reasons you shouldn't."

"So he kissed you huh?"

The blush was stronger then ever.

"I take it that means you really liked it."

"I forgot what I was doing. It was a bit awkward in the hall then we were in the elevator and he was kissing me, and I completely forgot where we were going."

"For the record, ew."

Sam gave him a shove, "You should go then. It's up to you but if you really like the guy, and it sounds like you do, then go."

That was all the encouragement I needed. It might have been the strange mush but with Sam's blessing I felt like I could do this. Why couldn't I? I was Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom, I took on ghosts nearly daily. I beat up the baddest of the bad, I ate cafeteria food! I could say yes to a date.


	4. Chapter 4

I lack ownership over Danny Phantom. Well you can't have it all I guess.

* * *

I said yes to the date. Why did I say yes to the date? I was brave, I was bold, I walked up to the popular table and his friends held their breath. Waiting for Dash to make the first move, a snide remark or a question about Dani, waiting for him to lead them in the direction they should take.

Before Dash could open his mouth I spoke, "Yes. I trust you know my number, call me to arrange it later." And I walked off. I just hope it looked as cool in the real world as it did in my head.

I didn't want to spend the rest of the day at school but I couldn't leave Tucker and Sam to fend off rumors by themselves.

With the date almost set I could put it on the back burner and focus on Dani. I needed to figure out how to make sure Vlad never tries coming after her again, or can't come after her. Then there's Dani herself, some how I have to convince her to stay, to call Amity Park home.

Vlad could be easy, my dad had a ton of stuff for destroying and detaining ghosts. What could possibly work to keep that, that self centered, manipulative, creepy, daughter creating and torturing "ARRRG!" the locker didn't deserve the new dent it sported but it's not like I didn't come out of it scratch free either. The pain calmed me down some, but I would need to work off some steam after school. Where was the Box Ghost when you needed him?

The afternoon didn't go by as fast as the morning and I was out of there as soon as the bell rang. I didn't get very far.

"Danny!" Dani ran up the school walkway waving. She jumped and wrapped her arms around my neck. Returning the hug I did a quick twist, spinning her around.

"Dani, what are you doing here? You should be in bed resting." Her bottom lip quivered and I quickly back peddled. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but you should be resting."

Dani rolled her eyes, "I've been resting for five days now. It's great that you care, Danny, but I'm a big girl, I can take a few bruises. Besides after so long I'm dying for some action."

"Sounds great."

The patrol turned up nothing. Sam and Tucker did a real good job scaring off the spooks. Well we might not have had ghosts to test ourselves on but it didn't mean we couldn't have a little fun before supper.

We flew out of the city to a place we wouldn't be disturbed. The small meadow would be perfect for a little target practice.

"Okay, I'll show you a little trick that will come in handy when the time is right." I let the cold build up inside of me before releasing it in the form of a snowball. I threw it at an apposing tree, hitting it dead on.

Dani stared at the leftover snow, "So cool! You mean I'll learn how to do that too? Okay let me try." She stood there copying my earlier stance. Attempting to force the cold.

I waited, unlike when I had to learn the world wasn't going to end if she didn't get it right and fast. I didn't have to wait long. She stomped her foot in frustration, unable to even chill the air a bit.

"How about I teach you about the Ice Powers?" Closing my eyes I inhaled, held it for a moment then opened my eyes again as I exhaled the freezing mist. "It's our ghost sense. It comes from the cold inside of us. You have to let it build up at first then release it in bursts like the rest of our powers. After you get the hang of it, it's as easy as walking through walls and you don't have to wait as long in between attacks."

Quickly I worked, creating the snowballs and hitting the trees on the other side of the meadow. Then moving on to weapons, from the simple ice blades to a sword and of course showing how sharply they could cut by trimming the branches. I showed her the beams we could control through both our hands and our eyes. And finally the freezing mist.

"You might have a few more months before the cold builds up enough the first time, but I wanted you to know what would happen before it hits you."

Dani tried again and again until it was getting to dinner time without any luck. "Are you sure I'll be able to do it too?"

"Of course, you seam to have all my other powers, including the ghost sense. And since it comes from the ice powers you should develop them as well."

It was a quick spin around the city for pre-dinner patrol with no luck and we landed in the backyard of Fenton Works.

The back door opened and mom looked out. "Oh there you two are. Gee did you just get back from patrol, the ghost must have been pretty bad it's almost 6:30."

"Nah, Danny was just showing me some moves." She raced up the back steps and into the house towards the smell of dinner.

Mom stepped out onto the back steps, closing the door behind her. "Danny is something wrong?"

"No, well yeah. Just a bunch of stuff mom."

She joined me in the yard and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I could only shrug. Talking to my parents wasn't something I could do honestly very often. It was only this weekend when they pressed for information that I told them everything.

"Mostly I'm just worried."

"About what sweetheart?"

"About what to do to Vlad, er about Vlad. About Dani's safety." She hugged me a little closer, "Hey mom."

"Yes Danny?"

"Were you and dad mad when I told you?"

She hesitated and sighed. "Yes a little at first. Most parents are hurt when they find out their children have been lying to them. But Jazz pointed out that we never gave you much choice in the matter, after all I'd be a little scared too if the person I trusted my whole life to take care of me want to kill me or at least part of me. But we love you dear no matter what."

"So no matter what happens you'll love me right?"

"Why of course dear, you might have to give you father and me a bit of time to get use to it, but we'd love you no matter what happens. You turn evil and we're taking you down of course, but we'd still love you."

Okay then, cause that wasn't a little freaky. I'd already said this much might as well tell her the rest. "I have a date this Friday night."

"Oh sweetie is that why you're asking these questions? I don't really understand why you'd asked about if we'd love you no matter what, A GHOST!" Her arms became stiff and she moved to face me, "Oh Danny is your date with a ghost? Is that what the questions were about?"

"What? No, I have a date with a guy, not a ghost, a guy. Dash asked me and I said yes."

No parent had ever been so relived to find out their only son was going on a date with another man. "You're just gay, okay that's much better then dating a ghost."

I'm not sure there's an ism for ghost hating but my parents had it. Maybe having two half ghost in the house would keep them from freaking out about every ghost. Some were bad, some didn't care either way and some were helpful. It really wasn't fair that all the ghosts get considered evil because of a few rotten ones.

"Wait Dash, as in Baxter? Didn't we get called to school because he was beating you up?"

Her look of relief was turning to worry. So I did was no teenage would ever admit to doing, I hugged her.

"I love you too mom. Don't worry, we just kinda of, well, clicked at the hospital, and he asked me on a date. Besides if he tries anything I'll just go ghost on his butt." We stood there a moment more before my teenage need to distance myself from my parents kicked in. "It's not Dash I'm worried about anyways mom."

"I still can't believe Vlad would do something like that. Well on second maybe I can. There was always something strange about that man."

"Would it be the half ghost I want to destroy Jack Fenton and steal his wife and children vibe or the I'm willing to use my powers for evil, take over the world and destroy Jack Fenton and steal his wife and children vibe?"

"The second one sweetie. Now lets get inside and have dinner, after we'll go down to the lab and find something to help you destroy your arch enemy. I made a pie for dessert."

As we went inside I couldn't help but wonder how my mom could go from sweet mom to ghost hunter in one sentence, then go right back to sweet.

After dinner, the two of us trekked down to the lab, pie in hand. We organized most of the lab first into two groups. Working and Not Working. From there we narrowed it down, Working to Useful and No Help At All. Useful turned into Destroy and Just Maims A Little (But Hurts A Lot).

We still didn't have a plan. I couldn't even decide if I wanted to destory him or just maim him a little. It didn't feel like I had much choice, I couldn't kill him, but I couldn't leave him to let him come back. Well rummaging around through the piles my hand brushed against a glass vial. Picking it up for closer examination I realized two things, I had a plan and I had no idea if the kinks were worked out of this one yet. The kinks that had helped once before would backfire horribly this time. It would be best to run some tests first, if they went well I could have my cake and eat it too.


End file.
